Innocent
by MsliveforChrist
Summary: Even after everything he had done Zach is still innocent.Rated T cause I'm paranoid.


Title: Innocent  
>Summary: Even after his mistakes Zach was still an innocent<br>Author: MsliveforChrist  
>Disclaimer: I don't own BONES or the song "Innocent"<p>

_I guess you really did it this time  
>Left yourself in your warpath<br>Lost your balance on a tightrope  
>Lost your mind tryin' to get it back <em>

Zach had finally snapped. His logic, which seemed irrefutable at the time, had failed. To the others everything seemed so sudden, but he had been struggling for a long time. None of his attempts to solve his issues had been successful. Iraq had left him in a vulnerable and confused state, which made him an even easier target for Gormogan.

_Wasn't it easier in your lunchbox days?  
>Always a bigger bed to crawl into<br>Wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything  
>And everybody believed in you?<em>

Life used to be so easy. Back when his mom packed him a lunch box before sending him off to school. Back when he could crawl into his parent's bed and let them protect him from the evil. The beautiful times when magic was real and the possibilities in life were endless. Back when his family and friends believed in the things he could do and the places he was going.

_It's alright, just wait and see  
>Your string of lights is still bright to me<br>Oh, who you are is not where you've been.  
>You're still an innocent,<br>You're still an innocent._

They still loved him. They were disappointed with him, but they still believed in him. The things Zach did aren't who he is. He's still innocent at heart.

_Did some things you can't speak of  
>But at night you live it all again<br>You wouldn't be shattered on the floor now  
>If only you would've seen what you know now then<em>

The things Gormogan told him, and the pure terror he planted in Zach's heart was something he can't talk about. But at night it becomes real again. He sees Gormogan's face in his nightmares. He tells Zach that he controls him, and that he is nothing but a tool to do the masters bidding. That's when Zach falls apart. He throws himself out of the bed with a yell and lays screaming and crying on the floor. He knows now that his logic was wrong. If he'd known that then he could've prevented this mess. He could have kept Dr. Brennan and the others from being disappointed in him.

_Wasn't it easier in your firefly-catchin' days?  
>When everything out of reach, someone bigger brought down to you<br>Wasn't it beautiful runnin' wild 'til you fell asleep  
>Before the monsters caught up to you? <em>

Zach couldn't sleep after his meltdown last night. Instead he watched the fireflies dance outside his window, and remembered the times he caught them with the rest of his family. The jars they needed to catch the fireflies had been up on a high shelf but that hadn't mattered, there was always someone bigger to bring things down to Zach. Also, his parents always had them run around the property multiple times until they were too exhausted to put up a fight about going to bed. Then they had them climb into the middle of the bed before the monsters could catch up to him.

_It's alright, just wait and see  
>Your string of lights is still bright to me<br>Oh, who you are is not where you've been  
>You're still an innocent<br>It's okay, life is a tough crowd  
>24, and still growin' up now<br>Who you are is not what you did  
>You're still an innocent<em>

Dr. Sweets stared across the table at Zach Addy. He wanted to tell him to just wait, and that everything would work out. That if he just let him tell people that he was really innocent everyting would be okay. That he just got caught up in the hard things in life. Who Zach Addy is isn't the things he did. Zach is truly innocent and Sweets knows it, but can't do anything about it.

_Time turns flames to embers  
>You'll have new Septembers<br>Every one of us has messed up too  
>Lives change like the weather<br>I hope you remember  
>Today is never too late to be brand new <em>

Life keeps moving. Zach friends visit most days. Hodgins brings him puzzles, Angela keeps him informed on the relationship drama that goes on in the lab, Dr. Brennan continues to teach, and even Booth comes to tell him about what "real life" is like. They tell him that they've made mistakes too. Not ones to the magnitude of Zach's, but mistakes all the same. They try to help him get better, and let him now that he can still turn away from the bad things he did and be a brand new person.

_It's alright, just wait and see  
>Your string of lights is still bright to me<br>Oh, who you are is not where you've been  
>You're still an innocent.<br>It's okay, life is a tough crowd  
>24, and still growin' up now<br>Who you are is not what you did  
>You're still an innocent.<br>You're still an innocent._

For the first time in a long time Zach knows that everything will be alright. His friends still believe in him, and love him. They always knew that who Zach is isn't the things he had done, and now Zach sees it too. Life is hard and confusing, and he made wrong turns but he's found himself again. Zach always has been and will forever be an innocent.

_Lost your balance on a tightrope.  
>It's never too late to get it back. <em>

Zach leaves the asylum surrounded by his friends, finally peaceful. He lost his way, but he's finally got it back.


End file.
